Busting 3 Adoption Myths

There are a wide range of opinions about adoption floating around out there, but you shouldn’t let any misconceptions keep you from growing your family, especially if adoption is one of your only options. At Keep reading, and ask yourself if any of these adoption myths are keeping you from pursuing the family you want and deserve.

It’s Easier to Adopt Internationally

Many people who consider adoption believe that it is easier to adopt internationally than it is to adopt from within the United States, and there are a number of reasons for this misconception. For one thing, some have a warped perspective of the number of adoptable children in the states, believing that there are either no orphans in the states or simply not enough to make adoption from within the U.S. practical. To understand that this is false, one only needs to look at the numbers. There are roughly 400,000 children in the United States foster care system at any given time, more than one fourth of who are waiting to be adopted; that’s more than 100,000 children!

Another misconception that leads people to believe it is easier to adopt internationally is that it is somehow faster to do so. The simple fact is that there is no real way to guarantee a wait time as these depend on a wide variety of factors, including the adoption plan, budget, country-specific limitations, etc. On average, it takes up to one year to adopt a child within the United States. International wait times greatly depend on the country, so there is no true average to offer. It may take less than a year, or it may take five.

Adoption is too Expensive

Many people look at the estimated costs of adoption and immediately close the book on this amazing opportunity to grow their families, but don’t let the money scare you. While it is true that an international adoption may cost as much as $50,000, there are many factors influencing the cost and even more programs available to help families face the cost of adoption, such as tax credits, adoption loans and grants, employer and military benefits, etc. Another point to consider, if you decide to adopt from within the United States foster care system, is that you may not end up paying much of anything at all.  Learn all of your options before you decide you can’t afford to adopt.

All I Need to Know is on the Internet

Between all of the misconceptions regarding adoption and the skewed perspectives, it may not be the best idea to do all of your adoption research on the internet. Instead, why not take advantage of the foster care and adoption professionals at Family Care for Youth & Children? As affiliates of the Statewide Adoption and Permanency Network, we are confident in our adoption services.

If you’d like to learn more about adoption and foster care, browse through our website. To begin working with us, give us a call, or schedule an appointment online.